london

Definition of london in English English dictionary: A settlement in Kiribati, on Easter Island; A community in Texas, USA, with a population of approximately 180; A city in Kentucky, USA, with a population of approximately 8,000; The capital city of the United Kingdom and of England, situated near the mouth of the River Thames in southeast England, with a metropolitan population of more than 12,000,000; A city in California, USA, with a population of approximately 1,800; A city in Ohio, USA, with a population of approximately 9,000; A city in Arkansas, USA, with a population of approximately 900; A community in West Virginia, USA; A habitational surname for someone from London; A city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a population of approximately 300,000; American writer of rugged adventure novels, including The Call of the Wild (1903) and The Sea Wolf (1904). . officially Greater London Capital and largest city (pop., 2001: 7,172,036) of the United Kingdom, situated in southeastern England on the River Thames. It is the political, industrial, cultural, and financial centre of the country. Formally known as the metropolitan county of Greater London (established 1965), it has an area of 659 sq mi (1,706 sq km) and consists of two regions: Inner London comprises 13 of London's 33 boroughs (including the original City of London), and Outer London encompasses the other 20 boroughs. Greater London is an administrative entity, with an elected mayor and assembly. Founded by the Romans as Londinium in the 1st century AD, it passed to the Saxons in the 6th century. City fortifications were destroyed by the Danes, who invaded England in 865, but were later rebuilt. William I (the Conqueror) established the central stronghold of the fortress known as the Tower of London. Norman kings selected Westminster as their seat of government, and Edward the Confessor built the church known as Westminster Abbey. The largest city in Europe north of the Alps by 1085, it was struck by the Black Death in 1348-49. Trade grew significantly in the mid-16th century, fueled by the establishment of Britain's overseas empire. In 1664-65 the plague killed about 70,000 Londoners, and in 1666 the Great Fire of London consumed five-sixths of the City of London; it was afterward rebuilt (see Christopher Wren). London was the centre of world trade from the late 18th century to 1914. It opened the world's first electric underground railway in 1890. Severely damaged by German bombs in the Battle of Britain during World War II, it was again rebuilt and grew rapidly in the postwar period. Among its sites of interest are Buckingham Palace, the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. City (pop., 2001: metro area, 432,451), southeastern Ontario. It lies on the Thames River, near several of the Great Lakes. Its name and site were chosen in 1792 for the location of a capital of Upper Canada, but the plans failed to materialize. First settled in 1826, it was incorporated as a city in 1855. It became an important transportation and industrial centre as a result of its interlake location. It is the seat of the University of Western Ontario. Greater London Great Fire of London Great Plague of London Illustrated London News Lloyd's of London London Bridge London Company London Naval Conference London Stock Exchange London Jack London Treaty of London University of Tower of London Royal Society of London for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge; Of, from, or pertaining to London in the UK; Of, from, or pertaining to London, Ontario, Canada; {i} capital city of England; capital city of the United Kingdom; city in Ontario (Canada); name of several towns and cities in the United States; city in Belize (country located in Central America); name of two villages in South Africa; family name; Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) - the rate that many international banks charge to lend money to each other This is a short-term rate that is stated in increments of 30 days, 90 days, 180 days and one year; says Francis Crossley, is Luan-dun (Celtic), City of the Moon, and tradition says there was once a temple of Diana (the Moon) where St Paul's now stands Greenwich he derives from Grian-wich (City of the Sun), also Celtic It would fill a page to gave a list of guesses made at the derivation of the word London The one given above is about the best for fable and mythology (See Augusta, Babylon, and Luds Town ); United States writer of novels based on experiences in the Klondike gold rush (1876-1916); the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center United States writer of novels based on experiences in the Klondike gold rush (1876-1916); n [Capital city of England] London; Largest city in England; The capital city of England; the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center; As Greater London has expanded, parts of the counties of Middlesex (to the North) and Surrey (to the South) are now included in London Old birth certificates may refer to "Southwark, Surrey" and "City Road, Middlesex" but these are now well within the Greater London area and, in particular, the Underground network
London Town: London, predominantly the central fifteen or so boroughs
London Underground: The London underground railway system. Abbreviated as Underground
London moment: The magnetic moment of any rotation of any superconductor, caused by the electrons lagging behind the rotation of the object
London moment: A quantum-mechanical phenomenon whereby a spinning superconductive metal sphere generates a magnetic field whose axis lines up exactly with the spin axis
London weighting: An allowance paid to staff of a national organization working in London to help offset the additional expense of living in the capital
london dispersion: (Kimya) The London dispersion force is the weakest intermolecular force. The London dispersion force is a temporary attractive force that results when the electrons in two adjacent atoms occupy positions that make the atoms form temporary dipoles. This force is sometimes called an induced dipole-induced dipole attraction. London forces are the attractive forces that cause nonpolar substances to condense to liquids and to freeze into solids when the temperature is lowered sufficiently
london dispersion force: (Kimya) The London dispersion force is the weakest intermolecular force. The London dispersion force is a temporary attractive force that results when the electrons in two adjacent atoms occupy positions that make the atoms form temporary dipoles. This force is sometimes called an induced dipole-induced dipole attraction. London forces are the attractive forces that cause nonpolar substances to condense to liquids and to freeze into solids when the temperature is lowered sufficiently
London Assembly: a group of 25 people who are elected every four years, and who are responsible for checking the performance of the Mayor of London
London Bankers' Clearing House: in the UK, an organization owned by the large banks which deals with all the payments made every day using cheques, switch etc, in order to find out how much each bank owes other banks
London Blitz: Blitz, the
London Bridge: a bridge over the River Thames in London, famous because of a nursery rhyme (=an old song or poem for children) called 'London Bridge is Falling Down'. In 1965, it was sold and taken to the US state of Arizona, where many tourists go to see it, and a new bridge over the Thames was built to replace it. Any of several successive structures spanning the River Thames. The Old London Bridge of nursery-rhyme fame was built by Peter of Colechurch between 1176 and 1209, replacing an earlier timber bridge. Because of obstructions encountered in building the cofferdams, the arch spans varied from 15 to 34 ft (4.6-10.4 m); the uneven construction resulted in frequent need for repair, but the bridge survived more than 600 years. Its roadway was loaded with a jumble of houses and shops, many projecting out over the river. It was demolished and replaced in the 1820s by New London Bridge, designed and built by John Rennie, Sr. (1761-1821), and his son John Rennie, Jr. (1794-1874). In the 1960s it was again replaced; the old masonry facing was dismantled and reerected at Lake Havasu City, Ariz., as a tourist attraction
London Central Mosque: a large mosque (=building in which Muslims worship) in Regent's Park in London
London Coliseum: a large theatre in London, where the English National Opera is based
London Company: British trading company chartered by James I in 1606 to colonize the eastern American coast. Its shareholders were residents of London. Three ships with 120 colonists, led by John Smith, reached Virginia in 1607 and founded Jamestown. The company expanded its territory with new charters (1609, 1612) and authorized a two-house legislature (1619), including a House of Burgesses. Though the colony prospered, the company was divided by internal disputes and was dissolved in 1624, whereupon Virginia became a royal colony. See also Plymouth Company
London Eye: a Ferris wheel in London that is 450 feet tall and which gives people who ride in it very good views of the city
London Inter Bank Offer Rate: interest rate that is set in London for loans between banks for allotted periods of time
London Interbank Offered Rate: {i} LIBOR, interest rates that major international banks charge one another for loans
London Marathon: a marathon (=a running race of about 42 kilometres/26 miles) that takes place in London every year. Over 25,000 runners take part in the race. Some of these are professional runners, but most are ordinary people, many of whom do the marathon in order to collect money for charity organizations
London Naval Conference: (Jan. 21-April 22, 1930) Conference held in London to discuss naval disarmament and review the treaties of the Washington Conference. Representatives of Britain, the U.S., France, Italy, and Japan agreed to regulate submarine warfare and to place limits on new construction of cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and other warships. A treaty limiting battleship size was not signed, and the treaties renewed in 1935 were canceled on the outbreak of World War II
London Palladium: a theatre in central London, famous especially for musicals (=shows that use singing and dancing to tell a story) and for variety shows (=shows with many different short performances, by singers, dancers, people telling jokes etc)
London Philharmonic Orchestra: symphony orchestra of London, LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra: one of the leading orchestras (=large group of musicians playing together) in the UK
London School of Economics: the LSE one of the colleges of London University, which is famous for teaching politics and economics
London Season: a series of social events held every year in or near London and attended by people from the highest social class. In the past, this was an important part of life for the British upper class, and it is often mentioned in literature, but it is much less important now. It includes parties for debutantes, and several well-known sports events, including Royal Ascot, and the Henley Regatta
London Stock Exchange: London marketplace for securities. It was formed in 1773 by a group of stockbrokers who had been doing business informally in local coffeehouses. In 1801 its members raised money for construction of a building in Bartholomew Lane; they established rules for the exchange the following year. In 1973 the London Stock Exchange merged with several regional British stock exchanges. In 1991 the exchange replaced its governing council with a board of directors, and it became a public limited company
London Symphony Orchestra: one of the leading orchestras (=large group of musicians playing together) in the UK, based at the Barbican in central London
London University: the third oldest university in England, which consists of several different colleges in London, including Imperial College, University College, King's College, and the London School of Economics
London Zoo: a large old zoo in north central London, which was established in the early 19th century
London broil: Broiled flank steak cut into thin slices
London conference: first worldwide conference of the Zionist movement where the effects of World War I on Zionism was discussed
london plane: very large fast-growing tree much planted as a street tree
london smoke: which reduces the intensity without materially changing the color of the transmitted light
london smoke: A neutral tint given to spectacles, shade glasses for optical instruments, etc
london tuft: The Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
City of London: area in London, England containing the financial district, usually abbreviated to the City
City of London: the site of the original Roman Londinium
Greater London: An administrative area combining the City of London, the City of Westminster and 31 other London boroughs
Londoner: A person from, or an inhabitant of, London
Multicultural London English: An English accent peculiar to modern day London, being a mixture of Cockney, Jamaican, West African, and Indian accents and dialects. Also known as MLE
Old London Town: London, predominantly the central fifteen or so boroughs
Sarf London: South London
Tower of London: A riverside fortress in London, used as a palace, prison and now a museum housing the Crown Jewels
East London: city in southern South Africa
Fire of London: Great Fire of London, the
Great Fire of London: a very serious fire that destroyed most of the city of London, including the old St Paul's Cathedral, in September 1666. (September 2-5, 1666) Worst fire in London's history. It destroyed a large part of the city, including most of the civic buildings, St. Paul's Cathedral, 87 parish churches, and about 13,000 houses. It began accidentally at the house of the king's baker in Pudding Lane near London Bridge, and a violent east wind encouraged the flames. On the fourth day houses were blown up by gunpowder to master the fire. The Thames River swarmed with vessels filled with people trying to save their goods, and some fled to the hills of Hampstead and Highgate, but most of the houseless Londoners settled in Moorfields
Great Plague of London: (1664-66) Epidemic of plague that ravaged London, killing more than 75,000 of a total population estimated at 460,000. As early as 1625, 40,000 Londoners had died of the plague, but this was the worst and the last of the epidemics. Most of the devastation was in the city's outskirts, in areas where the poor were densely crowded. The disease spread throughout the country, but from 1667 only sporadic cases appeared until 1679. The plague's decline was attributed to various causes, including the Great Fire of London. Daniel Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year (1722) provides a valuable picture of the time
Greater London: London and the area surrounding it, which used to be a local government area
Greater London Authority: a group of people who are elected to govern the city of London. It consists of the Mayor of London and the 25 members of the London Assembly. The Authority is responsible for transport, planning, economic development, environment, the police, the emergency services, culture, and health
Illustrated London News: Historic magazine of news and the arts, published in London. Founded in 1842 as a weekly, it became a monthly in 1971. A pioneer in the use of various graphic arts, it was London's first illustrated periodical, the first periodical to make extensive use of woodcuts and engravings, and the first to use photographs. In 1912 it became the first periodical using rotogravure to publish an integrated picture and text section. Initially focused mainly on English social life, it later broadened its scope to embrace general news and cultural activities
Jack London: a US writer of adventure novels, including The Call of the Wild and White Fang (1876-1916). orig. John Griffith Chaney born Jan. 12, 1876, San Francisco, Calif., U.S. died Nov. 22, 1916, Glen Ellen, Calif. U.S. novelist and short-story writer. Born to poverty, the largely self-educated London became a sailor, hobo, Alaskan gold miner, and militant socialist. He gained a wide audience with his first book, The Son of the Wolf (1900), and the story "To Build a Fire" (1908). Thereafter he wrote steadily; his 50 books of fiction and nonfiction, including many romantic depictions of elemental struggles for survival as well as socialist tracts, include The Call of the Wild (1903), The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906), The Iron Heel (1907), Martin Eden (1909), and Burning Daylight (1910). Though his work brought him wealth and fame, his suicide at age 40 was the result of alcoholism and mounting debt
Jack London: {i} (1876-1916) United States writer
Lloyd's of London: Insurance marketing association in London, specializing in high-risk insurance services. Its history dates to 1688, when Edward Lloyd kept a London coffeehouse where merchants, seafarers, and marine-insurance underwriters met to transact business. The underwriters at Lloyd's eventually formed a marine-insurance association (incorporated 1871); it expanded to include other forms of insurance in 1911. After a series of financial scandals, the corporation was reorganized under the Lloyd's Act of 1982. Today Lloyd's consists of more than 20,000 individual members organized in several hundred syndicates, which are represented at Lloyd's by underwriting agents. Individual syndicate members, rather than the corporation, are liable for losses. Until record losses in the 1980s and '90s bankrupted some syndicate members, they had unlimited liability for business transacted for them; in 1993 that liability was limited. See also insurance, liability insurance
Londoner: {i} resident of London (capital city of England)
Londoner: A person from, or an inhabitant of London
Museum of London: a museum in central London which tells the history of London from Roman times to the present
Royal Society of London for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge: Oldest scientific society in Britain. Founded in 1660, its early members included Robert Hooke, Christopher Wren, Isaac Newton, and Edmond Halley. It provided an impetus to scientific thought and developments in England, and its achievements became internationally famous. Philosophical Transactions, one of the earliest periodicals in the West (1665), publishes scientific papers; abstracts of papers appear in the Proceedings. The society awards several prestigious medals. At the beginning of the 21st century, the society had some 1,250 fellows and 120 foreign members
Tower of London: a fortress (=protected group of buildings including a castle) in London next to the River Thames, built in the 11th century but originally built in Roman times. The kings and queens of England lived there in the past, and many important people were kept as prisoners there. It is now a museum. Royal fortress on the northern bank of the River Thames. The central keep, or donjon, known as the White Tower because of its limestone, was begun 1078 by William I the Conqueror inside the Roman city wall. In the 12th-13th century the fortifications were extended beyond the wall, the White Tower becoming the nucleus of a series of concentric defenses. The only entrance from the land is at the southwestern corner; when the river was still a major highway, the 13th-century water gate was much used. Its nickname, Traitors' Gate, derives from the prisoners brought through it to the Tower, long used as a state prison; many were murdered or executed there
Treaty of London: (April 1915) Secret treaty between neutral Italy and the Allied forces of France, Britain, and Russia to bring Italy into World War I. The Allies wanted Italy's participation because of its border with Austria. Italy was promised Trieste, southern Tyrol, northern Dalmatia, and other territories in return for a pledge to enter the war within a month. Despite the opposition of most Italians, who favoured neutrality, Italy joined the war against Austria-Hungary in May
University of London: London University. Federation of more than 50 British institutions of higher learning, located primarily in London, England. It was established by liberals and religious dissenters in 1828, and it accepted for enrollment Roman Catholics, Jews, and other non-Anglicans. The first two colleges were University College and King's College. From 1849 a student enrolled in any university in the British Empire could be awarded a University of London degree after examination. By the early 20th century many institutions had become affiliated with the university, including Bedford College, the first British university to grant degrees to women; the London School of Economics and Political Science, now an internationally renowned centre for the social sciences; and three other institutions that later became the Imperial College of Science and Technology
arrive in London: reach London, get to London
city of london: the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries; the commercial and financial center of London
londoner: a resident of London
londoner: A native or inhabitant of London
new london: a town in southeastern Connecticut near Long Island Sound; an important whaling center in the 19th century
tower of london: a fortress in London on the Thames; used as a palace and a state prison and now as a museum containing the crown jewels